Stoker mechanism



Feb.'3, 1942. w.- 'r. HANNA 2,271,939

swoxna MECHANISM Filed Jan. 20, 1938 s Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR T Vlliam Z Hanna ATTORNEYS Feb. 3, 1942. w. T. HANNA 2,271,939

' STOKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 20, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I lyillzam T. Hanna @m, 4241; aw /wwd AfTORNEYS Feb. 3, 1942. w. "r. HANNA 2,271,939

STOKER MECHANISM v Filed Jan. 20, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR William Z Hanna BY ma ma QMMM WJ ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I i 2,271,939 I 7 STOKER MECHANISM I William Thompson. Hanna, Cincinnati, Ohio 7 Application January 20,1938, Serial M rceau 14 Claims. (or. 198- --15)- The present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for feeding coal or the like.

I Although not limited in use to locomotive stokers,

it affords certain important advantages when used: with such stokers wherein coal of heterogeneous particle size'is automatically fed to the locomotive firebox from the coal bin of atender. One of the objects of the invention,'when so employed, is; to. afford improved mechanism for moving fuel forwardly from the tender hopper past crushing mechanism and through a transfer conduit to fuel. distributingv mechanism associated with a locomotive firebox. A further object is 'toprovide improved conveying mechanism of. the

type in which a screw conveyor in the tender hopper is driven from its front end. Another object is toprovide improved power transmission mechanism and an improved arrangement thereof conveniently located for servicing and inspection, and. in which gears are solocated with respect to each other that they may be lubricated by 'a/flood or splash system from a common reservoir.

One embodiment ofthe invention in a form designed for use with locomotive stokers is illustrated: in'the-drawings'accompanying the present specification and in which:

Figure 1: 15 a side elevation;

Figure Zis a plan view;-

"Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of. Figure 1; v

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

. it does not rigidly support gears or heavy duty is mounted on the back wall 8 of the locomotive firebox adjacent a fire opening I in the back Wan.

The, hopper. I- is located. beneath the deck 2 of the tend-er and comprises a forward heavy reinforced section Ia in which is located a fuel crusher such. as described in my Patent No. 1,961,216, issued June 5,' 1934.. Itincludes also a rearward section Ib bolted to and extending rearwardly from thesection' Ia. The section'lb may beconstructed of relatively light weight material such as sheet metal or other inexpensive material since mechanism. It extends rearwardly under the deck of the tender to receive fuel from the back part of thetender as the coal supply is depleted. With this type ofhopper construction, the length of the hopper needed for a particular locomotive tender may be made up inexpensively from stock material. Further, by making the long section lb of light weight material; the weight added to.

the tender by the hopper is reduced.

The conveyor in the hopper comprises 3 and a helical vane 4 which at its rearward end rests on a bearing pad I0 provided in the floor of section Ib'. Another bearing pad 9 is preferablyprovided in section Ia beneath vane 4' and below the crusher. These pads serve to keep the I vane slightly spaced from. the floor of the hopper.

Theirear end of the vane is free, i. e;.-, is not mounted in a bearingbut aguide plate H extends forwardly from the rear .wall of hopper section lb and provides a bearing surface serv- Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 55 'of Figure 3; I

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 0 -6 of Figure 4; I

Figure '7 is a longitudinal section on the line 'I-''I of Figure 6;.

Figure 8 is an oblique longitudinal section on the line 8-8' of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a transverse section. on the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5 in the stoking mechanism shown fuel is moved from a hopper I located beneath a. locomotive tender by means of a conveyor 3, past a crushing device. I2 located at the front end of the hopper. Thence the coal passes through an offset intermediate curved conduit 2I, which takes it around driving mechanism, to the receiving end of a transfer conduit 5, by which the fuel is transferred to a supply housing I00 from which the fuel is distributed by suitable fuel distributing means (only generally shown) over the firebed. The housing I00 ingto limit-upward lateral play of the/end of the vane 4.-

Referring to Figures 4, 5 and 7, the front end of the-vane 4 extends through-an opening I4 provided in the hopper section Ia, and above a fuel receiving chamber or pocket 30 provided in the casting Iabeyond the delivery opening I4. The conveyor is driven from its forward end by a drive shaft I5 suitably mounted in thrust bearings as will be described,-and suitably connected to hub 3 of the conveyor. A

The hub 3 is connected to the shaft I5 by a coupling comprising a flanged part l5a rigidly secured to the shaft I5 and a flanged part 3a provided on the hub 3. These two flanges are bolted together by shouldered bolts which are ment thereof. The bearing supporting shaft I5 takesiendvvisethrust of the hopper screw conveyor' in either direction.

a hub The fuel receiving pocket 36 in the section Ia, as shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, is located forwardly of and below the opening I4 and opens upwardly into a curved conduit section 2I. Together the pocket 36 and conduit 2| house a tapered screw conveyor having a hub 26 and a vane 21. The top of the pocket is covered by a suitable cover plate IOI removably held in place by bolts I02.

The front end of the section Ia is provided with faces I20 lying in a single vertical plane and adapted to join with corresponding rearward faces I2! of a section I03 provided with curved conduit section 2Ia which forms a continuation of the conduit section 2| and. which opens into a receiving chamber 23 formed in the section I03.

Sections Ia and I 03 are provided with journals I22 and I23, respectively, which receive ball bearing assemblies I6 and I6 a, respectively, of known design capable of taking axial thrust in either direction. These bearing assemblies support the shaft I and are provided with suitable means to prevent axial movement between the shaft and the inner rings of the bearings as will be described. Keyed to the shaft is a gear II, housed in a gear chamber I03a provided in the section I03. To the front end of shaft I5 is locked a collar carrying a yoke I05. A nut I24 is provided to draw the shaft, collar, gear and bearing assemblies together as desired. Bolts I04 hold the two sections Ia and I03 together to support shaft I5 and gear I'I.

The conveyor 6 is universally connected with the yoke I 05 by a knuckle block I06 and pins I01. Thus, gear I! and shaft I5 drive conveyor vanes 4 and 6.

Referring to Figure 4, gear I! is driven by a small gear l8 keyed to a shaft 32 supported by bearing assemblies 31 and 31a. Assembly 31a is suitably supported in a recess I25 provided in section I 53, and assembly 31 is mounted in a flanged ring I26 bolted to the section la. The shaft 32 and its bearing assemblies are suitably held in the sections In and I03 by known means against axial play.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 4, shaft 32 is driven by a drive rod I9'universa1ly connected to a yoke 32a secured to the shaft. The drive rod is in turn driven by a suitable engine generally indicated at 20 through reduction gears generally indicated at 2011.

Referring to Figure 8, the pusher or conveyor, comprising the tapered hub 26 and helicalvane 21, is pinned to a shaft 28 extending into the bottom of the receiving pocket 36. The shaft 28 is supported in bearing assemblies 29 and 29a which bearing assemblies are respectively journaled in cap plates 35 and I36. Both cap plates are suitably bolted to the section Ia, as shown.

Abeveled gear 30 is keyed to the shaft 28 and spaced from the bearing assembly 29 by a sleeve 34, a nut I'2'I serving to draw the assembled parts together. A beveled gear 3| meshes with the beveled gear 30 and is keyed to the end of the shaft 32 extending into gear housing formed in the section Ia by the cap plates. A nut I28 holds the beveled gear 3I in position on the shaft 32. In this manner, the shaft 32 which drives the gear II also drives the pusher or conveyor worm 21.

All the moving parts extending from the outside into the gear housings, formed by the two sections In and I03, pass through suitable packing or sealing means (not shown) but which may be placed in the recesses III) to prevent dirt and dust from entering the gear housings. Thus the housings are made oil-tight and dust-proof and the gears run in oil which may be poured into the housing thus provided through a filling hole III normally closed by a screw plug II2. Oil enters the gear housing enclosing the bevel gears 30 and 3| through the bearing assembly 31 or through other suitable inlet so that all the gears are lubricated from a common source.

It will be clear from Figure 4 that the hopper Opening I4 delivers fuel from the hopper to the receiving pocket just below the opening I4. The delivery end of hub 3 extends across this chamber to connect with shaft I5 and vane 4 terminates short of the end of hub 3 in said chamber. Hub 26 of the conveyor in conduit 2I is mounted in the housing below hub 3 and extends transversely across the axis of said hub in an upwardly oblique direction.

In operation, coal is crushed and fed by the hopper conveyor through the delivery opening I'4 whence it falls into pocket 36. It is then moved through the curved passageway of said conduit by the conveyor Vane 21 and into the enlarged chamber 23 formed by the spherical wall portions 22 of section I03.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the conduit sections 2| and 2Ia form a conduit of constantly increasing cross-sectional area which conduit curves upwardly around the gear I"! and then downwardly into the receiving chamber 23. By providing the conduit of this shape, the worm vane 21 operating in the conduit is not obliged to push the fuel all the way into the receiving chamber 23.

In the receiving chamber 23, the rearward walls thereof extend out around a portion of the yoke I05 to protect it from coal entering the chamber and also to urge the coal towards the forward part of the chamber. The wall 22 of the receiving chamber 23 is spherically shaped, and the rearward end of the conduit 5 which is provided with a spherical portion 5a nests upon and over the outer surface of the spherically shaped wall of chamber 23, in such manner that the conduit 5 is axially aligned with the outlet 24 of the receiving chamber. A retaining ring member 25 rigidly attached to the housing section I03 by means of suitable bolts I29 circumferentially surrounds the outside of the spherically shaped section 511 and holds it in place over the wall. In this manner, a universal connection is provided between the conduit 5 and the :section I03.

The forward end of the conduit 5 is suitably supported by and connected with an extension I30 of the fuel supply housing I00 and is so arranged that the delivery end of the conveyor 6 extends substantially within the extension I30.

The connection between the conduit 5 and the extension I30 is not only universal but also axially slidable to provide for the necessary relative movement between the parts. Such connections are well known in the art.

Thus, from the receiving chamber 23, the fuel is conveyed through conduit 5 by conveyor 6 to the firing opening whence it is distributed over the firebox by suitable distributing means.

The stoker mechanism thus provided is driven from a single gear and lies substantially on the center line of the locomotive and tender, the single gear lying between the hopper conveyor and the transfer conveyor.

As various embodiments might be made in the construction herein described, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting conveyor mounted to operate in the intermediate conduit, a screw conveyor in the transfer conduit,

shaft means located beside said intermediate conduit universally connecting the delivery end of the hopper conveyor and the receiving end of the transfer conveyor inrclose end-to-end relationship, and means intermediate said transfer and hopper screw conveyorsfor driving said shaft 7 means and said intermediate conveyor.

2. The combination, with a locomotive and tender, of stoker' mechanism for moving fuel for wardly from the tender to the locomotive, comprising, a hopper beneath said tender and a screw conveyor in said hoppen'said hopper having a forward relatively heavy housing, a crusher and mechanism for driving said conveyor mounted in said forward housing,a rearward relatively lightweight hopper secured to said housing, a second housing secured to the forward endof said first housing for coacting with said first housing in supporting said driving mechanism and means in said second housing for supporting the forward end of said conveyor, said two housings being provided with joining curved conduits for conducting coal around said driving mechanism.

3. In a locomotive Stoker, the combination of a hopper and a transfer conduit, a screw conveyor in said hopper and a screw conveyor in said conduit, a gear housing intermediate said hopper and transfer conduit, gear mechanism in said housing for driving the hopper screw conveyor from its forward end and the transfer screw conveyor from its rearward end, a curved conduit formed in said housing for transferring the fuel from the hopper around the gear mechanism to said transfer conduit, a screw conveyor in'said curved conduit for moving the fuel therethrough, and gear mechanism in said housing for driving said last-named screw conveyor, said gearmechanisms being lubricated from a common source of oil in said housing.

4. In a locomotive Stoker, fuel transfer mechanismfor conveying fuel from the tender hopper to a locomotive firebox, comprising a tender hopper and a transfer conduit extending forwardly from said tender hopper and universally mounted with respect thereto, screw conveyors in said hopper and transfer conduit, the front end of said hopper screw conveyor and the rear end of said transfer screw conveyor being universally secured to a common driving gear interposed therebetween, and a curved conduit for conveying fuel from the tender hopper to the transfer conduit around said driving gear.

5. In a locomotive stoker, fuel transfer mechanism for conveying fuel from the tender hopper to a locomotive firebox, comprising a tender hopper and a transfer conduit, screw conveyors in said hopper and transfer conduit, the front end of said hopper screw conveyor and'the rear end of said transfer screw conveyor being secured to a common; driving gear interposed therebetw'een, a curved conduitfor conveying fuelfrom the tender hopperto the transfer conduit around said driving gear, and meansin said curved conduit for moving the fuel therethrough.

' 6. In a locomotive stoker, fuel transfer mechanismfor conveying fuel from the tender hopper to a locomotive firebox, comprising a tenderhopper and a transfer conduit, screw conveyors in said hopper and transfer conduit,the front end of said hopper screw conveyor and the rear end of said transfer screw conveyor being secured to a common driving gear interposed therebetween,

a curved conduit for conveying fuel from the tender hopper, to the transfer conduit around said driving gear, and means comprising a tapered screw located in the rearward end of said curved conduit for moving fuel therethrough' '7. In a locomotive stoker, fuel transfer mechanism for transferring fuel forwardly from the hopper'to the firebox comprising, in combination, a transfer conveyor, a tender hopper screw conveyor, the respective rearward and forward ends of said conveyors being in substantially the same vertical and horizontal planes, a driving gear connected to said last-named conveyor at its forward end near said tender hopper, a curved conduit for transferring fuel from said tender hopper conveyor around said driving" gear into said transfer conveyor, and means in said curved conduit for moving fuel therethrough.

8. Stoker mechanism comprising a hopper having a delivery openingat one end, a transfer conduit having an enlarged end portion forming a receiving chambena screw'conveyor mounted to operate in the hopper, a screw conveyor mounted to operate in said transfer conduit, a shaft connecting the delivery end of the hopper conveyor and the receiving end of the transfer conveyor, means for driving said shaft, an intermediate conduit forming a curved-fuel'passageway from the hopper past said shaft andv driving means to said receiving chamber, and means for feedin fuel through said passageway.

9. Stoker mechanism comprising a hopper having a delivery opening at one end and a housing portion forming at one side a delivery chamber around said opening, 'a drive shaft mounted in a wall of said housing opposite said delivery opening, a hopper conveyor having a hub extending through said opening into said delivery chamber and operatively connecting with said drive shaft, a transferv conduit at the other side of said housing, an intermediate conduit forming a curved fuel passageway from a portion of the delivery chamber below said delivery opening to said transfer conduit at the other side of said having a delivery opening at one end, a hopper conveyor mounted to feed fuel from said hopper throughrsaid opening, a housing at the delivery end of the hopper, a transfer conduit having its receiving end universally supported on said housing, a transfer conveyor mounted to feed fuel through said transfer conduit, conveyor driving means carried by said housing between said hopper conveyor and said transfer conveyor, an intermediate conduit forming a fuel passageway which curves around said driving means to connect the hopper deliveryopening with the receiving end of the transfer conduit, and a screw conveyor operatively connected with said driving means and mounted to move fuel through said curved fuel passageway into the transfer conduit.

11. In locomotive stoker mechanism of the type wherein a transfer conduit and conveyor for coal are mounted between the locomotive and its tender and substantially in the vertical longitudinal medial plane thereof and a hopper positioned under the coal bin floor of the tender and in said plane is equipped with a front end driven conveyor for feeding coal in the hopper toward the front end of the tender, the combination of a housing interposed between said transfer conduit and said hopper and having a transverse wall, means mounted on said Wall for driving said transfer conduit conveyor and said hopper conveyor, said housing having a portion forwardly of said wall connecting with said transfer conduit and a portion rearwardly of said wall forming therewith an intermediate trough positioned to receive coal from the front end of said hopper, said trough having wall portions extending from rear to front and at one side of said transverse wall to form a passageway for coal connecting the front end of the hopper with the rear end of said transfer conduit, and a conveyor mounted in said intermediate trough and operatively connected with said driving means.

12. In locomotive stoker mechanism of the type wherein a transfer conduit and conveyor for coal are mounted between the locomotive and its tender and substantially in the vertical longitudinal medial plane thereof and a hopper positioned under the coal bin floor of the tender and in said plane is equipped with a front and driven conveyor for feeding coal in the hopper toward the front end of the tender, the combination of a housing interposed between said transfer conduit and said hopper and having a transverse wall, a main power shaft, a driving shaft journaled in said wall and connected at one end to said transfer conduit conveyor and at the other end to said hopper conveyor, a gear connection mounted on said transverse wall between said driving shaft and said main power shaft, said housing having a portion forwardly of said wall connecting with said transfer conduit and a portion rearwardly of said wall forming therewith an intermediate trough positioned to receive coal from the front end of said hopper, said trough having wall portions extending from rear to front and at one side of said transverse wall to form a passageway for coal connecting the front end of the hopper with the rear end of said transfer conduit, a conveyor mounted in said intermediate trough, and driving means for saidintermediate trough conveyor including a shaft journaled in said housing and operatively connected to said main power shaft.

13. In a locomotive stoker a mechanism for conveying fuel from the tender hopper to a locomotive firebox comprising -a tender hopper and a screw conveyor therein, a transfer conduit having one end universally mounted on said tender hopper, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit, a driving gear interposed between and connected to the front end of said hopper screw conveyor and the rear end of said transfer screw conveyor, a shaft and a gear on said shaft for driving said driving gear, a passageway for conveying fuel from the tender hopper to the transfer conduit around said driving gear, and conveying means in said passageway for moving the fuel therethrough and a gear mounted on said shaft for driving said conveying means.

14. In a locomotive stoker fuel transfer mechanism for transferring fuel forwardly from a locomotive tender to the firebox comprising, in combination, a tender hopper and a screw conveyor therein, a transfer conduit having a receiving end mounted in close proximity to said hopper and universally mounted thereon and a screw conveyor in said conduit, driving means including a shaft operatively connected to and substantially aligned with the front end of said hopper conveyor and the rearward end of said transfer conveyor for driving said conveyors from said ends, an offset passageway for transferring fuel from the tender hopper around said Tiriving means into said transfer conduit, and conveyor means in said passageway for moving the fuel therethrough WILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA. 

